OUT OF THE BOX

A friend of mine read an article encouraging Christians to show love and not condemn those practicing unbiblical lifestyles. The author was correct in making that point, but his article also tended to make Christians feel guilty for believing what we believe and articulating it when we need to. Below is a reprint of an email response to my friend. ---Billy Long TAKING A BIBLICAL STAND ON THE ISSUES A letter to a friend I am sure that you already have the correct posture on the issue and towards those who disagree in belief and practice. You have the correct Biblical belief and I know that you love people in the way the Lord tells us to. So I am pretty sure you have the right attitude. You want to share your belief and you don’t want to condemn anyone. God is the Judge. However, the problem occurring today is that we are accused of a hateful and condemning attitude for simply believing and especially for articulating the Biblical po...

AN UNHEALTHY CONTROL OF COMMUNICATION Introduction The issues highlighted below are principles I learned while serving “as referee” (and in some cases a participant) in a few church “fights” and were originally written with the intention of helping pastors understand some of the issues that get them into trouble. Initially I was reluctant to share these with a broader audience, but then realized that the principles are apropos to any discussion of healthy leadership. Many readers will identify with one or more of the problems discussed. For every issue there is a flip side. There is always the “other side of the coin.” This “flip side” issue is especially true for some of the areas covered in this article. For example, pastors usually teach on gossip, and they legitimately try to prevent unhealthy and destructive communication within their community of believers. But my emphasis here is the other side of the issue, which is leadership’s unhealthy control of comm...

Dear Friends The following article is taken from chapter 14 in my book “Spiritual Power for Everyday Living.” I think you will find it interesting. This article shows the authority Christians have over the enemy of our souls. Billy Long PUFF AND BLUFF God’s Restraining Hand Confines the Dark Powers The demonic realm is real. And its obscurity and limited ability to openly manifest and reveal itself is another evidence of the restraining hand of God. There are spirits everywhere. But why is it they can only show themselves in a limited way? Why not openly show themselves, take charge, and govern directly, and in the daylight? Why do they not simply show themselves and make us their open slaves and release a flood of control, fear, pain, and chaos upon us? Why do they tend to skulk around in the dark? Why are they so hidden? The answer is simple. God has confined them to the realm they are in and has given them limited power of influence and operation. Otherwise they would visibl...